Thread feeding and clamping device



Sept 17, 1957 MARKOFF-MOGHADAM ,8 6, 5

THREAD FEEDING AND CLAMPING DEVICE Filed April 22, 1957 m MW M W M M B gag-W374 ATTORNEYS United States Patent THREAD FEEDING AND CLAMPING DEVICE Leo Markoif-Moghadam, Washington, D. C. 7 Application April 22,1957, Serial No. 654,104

2 Claims. (Cl. 242-1253) This invention relates to a device for preventing thread, yarn, wire, or the like, from unreeling from a spool upon which it has been wound.

The invention herein described and claimed is a modification of the inventions described and claimed in my applic'ation Serial No. 609,280, filed September 11, 1956, which is a continuation-in-part of my application Serial No. 597,192, filed July 11, 1956, and my applications Serial No. 589,627, filed June 6, 1956, now abandoned, and Serial No. 643,853, filed March 4, 1957, now abandoned.

Thread, yarn, wire, string, and the like are usually sold on spools, usually of wood, but sometimes of other materials; After the initial use of some of the thread it is diificult to keep the thread from unreeling from the spool and from becoming tangled. Where a housewife or seamstress, for example, keeps a number of spools of thread of different colorsin 'a sewing box or basket, this becomes somewhat of a problem. Manufacturers of thread, in an effort tosolve the problem, have placed angular notches in the periphery of one end of the spool, in which notches the end of the thread may be disposed and retained when the thread is being stored. Such notches are somewhat'satisfactory, but frequently breakage occurs so that the wood material adjacent to the notch breaks ofi, eliminating the notch completely. Moreover, even when the notch remains, it has not proved satisfactory with certain types of thread, such as with nylon, which, because of its slippery surface, is difiicult to retain in any one position. i

The present invention is designed to overcome these difficultiesi Generally, it is comprised of a hollow tube-like spindle or the like adapted to be disposed within the central bore of the spool. The spindle at one end is provided with a circular disc of slightly greater diameter than that of the spool and disposed axially .on the end of the spool. The spindle, adjacent'the disc, is formed with a frusto-conical portion the larger diameter of which is adjacent the. disc. This frustoconical portion provides w'edgin'g means which, as will be referred to hereinafter, prevent the spool from rotating on the spindle when it is in fwedged position on the frusto-conical portion. The disc is provided with an integrally formed arm which extends from the periphery of the disc downwardly over the thread surface of the spool for some'distance. This integral arm is provided with a relatively large opening through which the thread passes. The'lower portion of spindle. The arrangement is thus that, selectively, the spool may either be loosely disposed on the spindle so that it may rotate about the spindle, or may be wedged on the frusto-conical portion so as to be rigid with the spindle. Wedging is'only effected by forcing the frustoconical portion into wedged position (by overcoming the action of the spring). When not in forced wedged position the spring urges the spindle into loose position and prevents accidental wedging as otherwise might result merely as the result of gravitational forces. In the loose position thread may be removed from the spool through the rectangular slot, while in the wedged position the spool may not rotate on the spindle and the thread should be clampingly engaged in the upper slot. The thread is thus positively prevented from unreeling from the spool.

The principal object of the invention is to provide such a device.

One form of the invention has been illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of one form of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view;

Fig. 3 is a vertical section showing the device in wedged position on a spool;

Fig. 4 is a similar view showing the device in loose position ready for unreeling; and

' Fig. 5 is a side elevation.

In accordance with the invention the device is comprised of a hollow spindle 1 the inner surface being like that of a cylindrical tube and the outer surface is formed as a frusto-conical wedge portion 2. Integral with the spindle 1, or otherwise rigidly secured thereto is a fiat circ-ular disc member 3 which is of a diameter slightly greater than the diameter of spool 4 on which the'device is to'be used. i

The inner diameter of the spindle 1 is of a diameter slightly greater than the spool spindle of a sewing machine, so that the device may, if desired, be used on a sewing machine, as will be described.

The outer diameter of the frusto-conical portion 2 of the spindle is such that its lower part willbe loosely disposed within the bore of the spool 4 while its upper part is of greater diameter than the bore so as to wedge in the bore when forced therein.

Disposed on the frusto-conical wedge portion 2 is a coil spring 5, the upper end of which may be secured by any suitable means, such as by a groove, to the spindle adjacent the disc member 3. The coil of the spring is of greater diameter than the bore of the spool so as to bear against the upper end of the spool 4 and thus normally. urge the device into loose, non-Wedging posithe opening is formed as a narrow vertical rectangular 1 tion; In such position the spool 4 may freely rotate on the spindle 1. Integral with the disc member 3 is a thread guide and clamping device 6 which is in the' form of anintegral downwardly extending arm. The arm is provided with an opening 7 which connects by a lateral slot 10 to the outside of the arm of the device 6 to permit the thread 'to be threaded in the opening 7. As will be noted particularly from Fig. 5, the lower part of the opening is formed as a vertical rectangular passageway 11 of a width considerably greater than a thread, while the upper part is formed as a vertical slit 12 the walls of which converge to a point so as to clampingly engage a thread drawn up therein. i 1

It'will be noted that the spindle 1 extends upwardly through the disc member 3. The portion which does so exteridis surrounded with a metal sleeve 8 and both that portion and the sleeve are provided with a'diametrically extending vertical cut-out 9, The edges of thecut-out 9 on the sleeve 8 are knife edges andare 'use'dfor sever ing the thread after a length has been unreeled.

The device operates in the following manner. The

spindle of the device is inserted in the bore of a spool and the spool with the device so disposed is held between thumb and finger of the user. When it is desired to prevent the thread from unreeling from the spool, the parts are disposed with the bore of the spoolbeing wedged on the frusto-conical wedge portion 2 and with the thread being clampingly engaged in the upper slit 12 in the arm of the device 6. When it is desired to remove thread, the spool is moved axially on the spindle so as to disengage it from the frusto-conical wedge portion 2 and so that it may rotate freely on the spindle (the spring 5 keeping it in loose position and preventing accidental wedging by gravity), and the thread is pulled downwardly into the vertical rectangular passageway 11. By holding the spool with the device loosely between thumb and forefinger of one hand or by resting the spool on a surface and holding the device loosely thereon and then pulling on the thread the spool Will rotate about the spindle as the thread is removed therefrom. When the desired amount of thread has been removed, the spool is moved axially into wedging position on the frustoconical wedge portion 2, the thread is pulled upwardly into the clamping slit 12 and is then drawn across the thread-severing knife edges 9.

I have found that, advantageously, the device may be comprised of plastic material, with the exception of the tubular sleeve with thread-severing knife edges 9, which advantageously is of metal. In some instances the upper slot will produce an elastic wedge eifectt This in part depends on its exact formation, dimensions, and the plastic material of which the device 6 is made. In other instances, it will prove satisfactory that the upper slot effect the plain wedge action. This is satisfactory in most instances, since there is very little pull or strain exerted by the thread when it is merely being held from unreeling.

The invention may be employed with sewing machines. In this instance the device is disposed on the spindle of the sewing machine, the spindle passing through the tubular spindle 1 of the device with a snug but slidable fit. The operation is similar to that already described. The thread from the spool 4 positioned on the spindle of the sewing machines (and also on the tubular spindle 1 of the device) is passed through opening 7. In normal running of the sewing machine when thread is to be unreeled from the spool, the device will be in the position shown in Fig. 4 in which the device will not be wedged to the spool. When it is desired to prevent unreeling, the. device is moved into the wedge position. (by wedge 2) shown in Fig. 3, and the thread is drawn upwardly into the upper slot to be clampingly engaged therein and the excess thread may then be severed by drawing it across a knife edge 9.

One of the advantages of the present invention is that it can be used in connection not only with spools of thread of different sizes. but also with spools of other materials, such as yarn, cord, string, ribbon, surgical sutures, and wire. It is to be understood that the word thread as used herein is intended to cover any of the foregoing materials.

Moreover, it should be apparent that the invention can be employed with spools of different shapes, including, for example, those used for some kinds of wire and which are comprised of rather large parallel disc ends separated by a relatively narrow intermediate portion on which the wire is wound. It is, of course, essential that the spool have a central bore to receive the spindle of the device.

It is contemplated that the invention can be employed advantageously also in textile plants in which a multitude of large spools orbobbins are used simultaneously. Where so used additional means (not shown) may be employed automatically to move the devices into and out of wedging position with respect to the spools as the operations being aifected may require.

Still further, it should be clear that the features of the. invention can be used in connection with the type of device shown in my earlier application Serial No. 597,192, which device is .comprised of a spindle having a disc at both ends. In such event the thread guiding and clamping means will be as here described as integral with the upper disc. The frusto-conical Wedge portion will be on either disc.

While in a general manner there has been disclosed what are deemed to be practical and efi'icient embodiments of the invention, it should be well understood that the invention is not to be limited thereto as there might be changes made in the arrangement, disposition, and form of the parts without departing from the principle of the invention as comprehended within the scope of the accompanying claims.

I claim:

1. A device for controlling the removal of thread from a spool, said device comprising a hollow tubular spindle adapted to extend into the bore of a spool to form an axle about which the spool may rotate, a flat circular disc secured to the upper end of the hollow spindle, said disc being parallel to the. top of the spool when the same is disposed on the spindle, said spindle adjacent said disc being formedas a frusto-conical wedge for wedging the bore of the spool when the latter is forced thereon, spring means carried by said device and adapted to bear against the upper surface of a spool disposed on said spindle normally to urge the device away from wedging position, whereby selectively a spool may be freely rotated on said spindle as thread is withdrawn therefrom, or a spool may be wedged on said wedge to lock the spool against rotation when it is not desired to withdraw thread, thread guiding and clamping means comprising an outwardly and downwardly extending arm integrally formed with said flat circular disc, said downwardly extending arm having an opening therein for guiding the passage of thread during withdrawal of thread, and a slit connecting with said opening for clampingly engaging the thread when a spool is'in the wedged locked position.

2. A device for controlling the removal of thread from a spool, said device comprising a hollow tubular spindle adapted to extend into the bore of a spool to form an axle about which the spool may rotate, a fiat circular disc secured to the upper end of the hollow spindle, said disc being parallel to the top of the spool when the same is disposed on the spindle, said'spindle adjacent said disc being formed :as a frusto-conical wedge for wedging the bore of, the spool when the latter is forced thereon, a coil spring disposed about said frusto-conical wedge and adapted to bear against the upper surface of the spool normally to urge thev device away from wedging position, whereby selectively a spool may be freely rotated on said spindle as thread is withdrawn therefrom or a spool may be wedged on said wedge to lock the spool against rotation when it is not desired to withdraw thread, thread guiding and clamping means comprising an outwardly and downwardly extending arm integrally formed with said flat circular disc, said downwardly extending arm having an opening therein for guiding the passage of thread during withdrawal of thread, said arm having a slot extending from the opening to the outer edge to facilitate inserting thread through said opening, and a slit connecting with said opening for clampingly engaging the thread when a spool is in wedged locked position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Great Britain Sept. 6, 1913 

